Spain's Socialist leader to consult party bases for support on pacts

MADRID, Jan 30 (Reuters) - Spain's Socialist leader Pedro
Sanchez said on Saturday he will poll his party's members on any
coalition deal to form the next Spanish government, a move which
may head off a simmering internal rebellion from regional
representatives.

Parties on the right and left have been jockeying for power
in the six weeks since the Dec. 20 election, though none is yet
in a position to close a deal after the political landscape
fragmented at the ballot box.

Sanchez may emerge as the front man of coalition talks as
King Felipe meets main party leaders to discuss their plans for
government for a second time on Monday and Tuesday.

After the previous round of talks, the conservative People's
Party (PP) head and acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy deferred
a confidence vote on forming a government because he lacked the
support to win, possibly passing the baton to Sanchez.

However, his choices are limited. He has ruled out a
German-style "grand coalition" with Rajoy's PP, and regional
leaders in his party are pressuring him to avoid a
pact-of-the-left with anti-austerity party Podemos due to their
stance on Catalan independence.

Saturday's move could give Sanchez grassroots backing for a
decision on Podemos, helping him avoid a coup from within
Socialist ranks.

Failure to gain support, however, will leave his position at
the head of the party vulnerable if Spain is forced back to the
polls, probably in May or June. The Socialists agreed on
Saturday to hold an internal primary leadership election May 8
and final election May 22.
(Reporting by Paul Day; Editing by Angus MacSwan)